大陆,海洋和板块构造学对复杂生命进化的重要性:寻找外星文明的含义
Robert J Stern1, Taras V Gerya2
1Department of Sustainable Earth Systems Science, University of Texas at Dallas, Richardson, TX, 75083-0688, USA.
Scientific reports
|April 12, 2024
概括
费米悖论可能由系外行星上板块构造学和大陆/海洋的稀有性来解释. 这些因素对于复杂生命和活跃,沟通文明 (ACC) 的演变至关重要.
科学领域:
- 天体生物学和行星科学 天体生物学和行星科学
- 地质物理学和进化生物学
背景情况:
- 德雷克方程预测了许多活跃的,沟通文明 (ACCs),然而费米悖论强调了缺乏观测证据.
- 行星构造风格是一个关键的,经常被忽视的,影响生物进化和复杂生命出现的因素.
研究的目的:
- 研究行星构造学和地质特征在解决费米悖论中的作用.
- 建议对德雷克方程进行修改,并纳入对先进生命发展至关重要的因素.
主要方法:
- 审查地球新新生态时代从单盖构造学到板块构造学过渡的证据.
- 分析大陆和海洋对于生物进化的不同阶段 (简单与复杂/技术) 的必要性.
- 在德雷克方程中引入了新的术语f_oc (行星中有大陆/海洋的部分) 和f_pt (有长期板块构造的部分).
主要成果:
- 有证据表明,长期过渡到板块构造加速了地球上复杂物种的进化.
- 大陆和海洋都至关重要:海洋是生命早期,陆地是先进的,技术化的生命.
- 合适条件的组合概率 (f_oc * f_pt) 非常低 (<0.00003-0.002).
结论:
- 太阳系外行星上长期存在的板块构造学和/或大陆和海洋的稀缺性可能解释了检测到的ACCs的缺乏.
- 这一修订的德雷克方程框架通过强调先进生命的地质先决条件,为费米悖论提供了一个潜在的解决方案.
相关概念视频
02:55The Evidence for Evolution
42.7K
Genetic variations accumulating within populations over generations give rise to biological evolution. Evolutionary changes can result in the formation of novel varieties and entire new species. These changes are responsible for the diverse forms of life inhabiting the planet. The evidence for evolution suggests that all living organisms descended from common ancestors.
42.7K
02:35What is Evolutionary History?
36.4K
Scientists record evolutionary history by analyzing fossil, morphological, and genetic data. The fossil record documents the history of life on Earth and provides evidence for evolution. However, both fossil and living organisms offer evidence that outlines Earth’s evolutionary history.
36.4K
02:22The Colonization of Land
34.3K
Changes in the environment of the early Earth drove the evolution of organisms. As prokaryotic organisms in the oceans began to photosynthesize, they produced oxygen. Eventually, oxygen saturated the oceans and entered the air, resulting in an increase in atmospheric oxygen concentration, known as the oxygen revolution approximately 2.3 billion years ago. Therefore, organisms that could use oxygen for cellular respiration had an advantage. More than 1.5 years ago, eukaryotic cells and...
34.3K
02:40The Tree of Life - Bacteria, Archaea, Eukaryotes
32.4K
The “tree of life” describes the evolution of life and the evolutionary relationships between organisms. The root of the tree is the common ancestor to all life on Earth. All other species radiate from this point, much like the branches of a tree. The numerous tips of these branches on the tree of life represent every living, or extant, species. Extinct species, which are species that no longer exist, can be found towards the center of the tree. Currently, these organisms, both...
32.4K
02:56The Fossil Record
25.1K
The fossil record documents only a small fraction of all organisms that have ever inhabited Earth. Fossilization is a rare process, and most organisms never become fossils. Moreover, the fossil record only exhibits fossils that have been discovered. Nevertheless, sedimentary rock fossils of long-lived, abundant, hard-bodied organisms dominate the fossil record. These fossils offer valuable information, such as an organism's physical form, behavior, and age. Studying the fossil record helps...
25.1K
01:24Biodiversity and Human Values
13.1K
Human civilization relies on biodiversity in many ways. Sudden changes in species biodiversity result in environmental changes that can modify weather patterns and therefore human civilizations.
13.1K